CompTIA CySA+ practice questions
Original questions written from the published exam objectives, never recalled exam content, with an explanation that teaches the concept behind every answer. Why that matters.
- Exam code
- CS0-003
- Cost
- $425 USD
- Questions
- Maximum of 85
- Duration
- 165 minutes
- Passing score
- 750 (scale 100-900)
- Format
- Multiple choice and performance-based
The CS0-003 exam costs $425. Fail it and the retake is another $425. Practicing until you are ready is the cheapest part of this. Full cost breakdown.
Exam domains and official weightings
From the official CompTIA exam objectives. Put your study time where the weight is.
- Security Operations33%
- Vulnerability Management30%
- Incident Response and Management20%
- Reporting and Communication17%
- Security Operations33%
- Vulnerability Management30%
- Incident Response and Management20%
- Reporting and Communication17%
Where to focus: Security operations and vulnerability management are 63 percent of the exam between them. Time spent reading real scanner output pays back more than any other activity here.
Try 5 free sample questions
No account needed. Every question includes our three-tier explanation: the concept, why the answer follows, and why each wrong option is wrong.
Sample question 1 of 5
A scan returns four findings on an internet-facing payment server. Which one do you escalate first?
| Finding | CVSS base | Exploit status | Compensating control | |---|---|---|---| | A | 9.8 | No public exploit | Vendor patch pending | | B | 7.5 | Actively exploited in the wild | None | | C | 9.1 | Proof of concept only | WAF rule blocks the vector | | D | 6.4 | No public exploit | None |
Sample question 2 of 5
A workstation resolves a different, randomly structured domain every few minutes. Most lookups return NXDOMAIN, then one resolves and the host opens a session to it.
q: kqjfhwnd.example.net -> NXDOMAIN
q: vmzpqrtl.example.net -> NXDOMAIN
q: bxtnmwoq.example.net -> NXDOMAIN
q: pdlkzwbe.example.net -> 198.51.100.42What behaviour is this?
Sample question 3 of 5
Ransomware is encrypting files on a file server. Legal has told you the incident is likely to end up in court. What do you do first?
Sample question 4 of 5
A credentialed scan reports a critical flaw in a library. The application team demonstrates that the vulnerable function is never reachable because the feature that calls it is disabled at build time. How should the finding be recorded?
Sample question 5 of 5
An executive asks whether the vulnerability management programme is improving. Which metric answers that question best?
Full CySA+ question bank coming
We’re writing the complete bank from the official objectives right now. Leave your email and we’ll tell you when it ships, nothing else, ever.
What the exam actually asks you to do
Multiple choice, multiple response, and performance-based questions. The performance-based items drop you into a simulated console, network diagram, or configuration screen and score what you actually do.
- Multiple choice
- Multiple response
- Performance-based
The highlighted formats are the ones you cannot answer from memory alone. CompTIA, CySA+ exam details ↗
An honest study plan
1. Read the official objectives first
Download the official objectives from CompTIA and skim every line. The exam can only test what’s listed there, it’s the contract.
2. Weight your study toward Security Operations and Vulnerability Management
Together the top two domains are 63% of the exam. Practice them until your accuracy is consistently above 80%.
3. Drill weak domains, then take a mock exam
Use Domain Drill on your weakest areas, then a full timed mock at real length (Maximum of 85 questions, 165 minutes). Book the real exam when you’re consistently passing mocks, not before.
Official free resources
Study from the source. These are CompTIA’s own materials:
Official CySA+ exam page & objectives ↗Where CySA+ fits
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Try free sample questionsFrequently asked questions
Is CySA+ harder than Security+?
Yes, and in a specific way. Security+ asks what a control is. CySA+ hands you output and asks what it means. If you can read a scan result, a SIEM alert, and a packet capture without a reference sheet, you are close.
What does CS0-003 cover?
Four domains: security operations (33%), vulnerability management (30%), incident response and management (20%), and reporting and communication (17%). The first two are almost two thirds of the exam.
Do I need Security+ before CySA+?
CompTIA recommends it plus around four years of hands-on work, but neither is enforced. The practical gate is comfort with logs and scanners, not a certificate.
Does CySA+ count for DoD 8140?
CySA+ is approved for several DoD 8140 work roles, which is a large part of why it holds its value. Check the current DoD 8140 tables for the role you are targeting, because the mappings are revised.
Ready to practice for CS0-003?
Play the free samples now. The full question bank is in progress, and you can join the waitlist on any sample question.
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$29 buys the CySA+ bank for good, including everything added to it later. Right now that is 5 sample questions, so buy it to back the work rather than for what is there today. Or go Pro for every certification.